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12
Disinfection.—The number of houses disinfected after infectious
disease was 187. The total number of articles disinfected reached
9,561, a slight iucrease on the number for the previous year.
Complaints of sewer emanations were less numerous than hitherto,
and have all received the careful attention of the Public Health
Committee and staff. Points frequently complained of were those in
the vicinity of the sewer ventilators situated in Nassington and
Parliament Hill Roads
A Sub-Committee visited the Strand District to observe the effect
of a Deakins' Sewer Gas Extractor and Destructor placed at the dead
end of a sewer. It was stated that complaints of offensive emanations
had ceased since the destructor had been started, and that the householders
closely adjoining the lamp had not experienced any inconvenience
from the proximity of the lamp to the windows. Your
Committee resolved to defer the consideration of the subject for three
months, for the purpose of obtaining further information thereon.
Water Supply.—Hampstead is supplied by water for domestic
purposes by the New River and West Middlesex Companies. The
water of the New River Company has throughout the year contained
less organic matter than that of the West Middlesex, the average
proportion in a given quantity being—New River 1.7, West Middlesex
3.2. Professor Frank land states that the Thames was, owing to floods
in March, October, and December, somewhat less pure than that
delivered for 1895; but that the New River water was not affected by
that cause. The average daily consumption is estimated to be 28
gallons per person for all purposes.
With respect to the presence of organic matter in water, either of
vegetable or animal origin, Professor Frank land states that it is
gratifying to find that the zymotic matters of the pathogenic kind are
rapidly destroyed in running water, and "that it is now an established
fact that efficient sand filtration would prevent the passage of such
germs into the filtered water, even should they arrive in a living
condition at the intakes of the companies." This result of recent
observations "is confirmed by the absence in London since the year
1866 of zymotic disease traceable to the water supply."